Emmys: ‘Men,’ ‘Downton’ vie to make history

'Hatfields,' 'Horror Story' duel as miniseries

A pair of 20th-century period dramas, “Mad Men” and “Downton Abbey,” will vie to make history at the 64th annual Emmy Awards, based on nominations announced Thursday.

“Mad Men” shared honors as the year’s most-recognized program with FX’s “American Horror Story” — which was categorized as a miniseries — with 17 nods each. “Downton Abbey” and “Hatfields & McCoys,” a historical western from History channel, each garnered 16.

Ending a 35-year drought, PBS’ second run of “Downton Abbey” garnered a best-drama nomination, crowding into an enormously competitive episodic field.

The follow-up to “Downton Abbey” — anointed as outstanding movie or miniseries in 2011, before being reclassified as a drama for this year’s purposes — becomes public TV’s first program to earn such a nod since the similarly themed “Upstairs, Downstairs” won for best drama in 1977. (As a footnote, an actual sequel to “Upstairs, Downstairs,” which aired on PBS’ “Masterpiece” last season, failed to notch any bids.)

If it wins, “Mad Men” will join “Frasier” as the only scripted series — and the first drama — to claim five Emmys in its category. It currently shares membership in the four-timer club with “The West Wing,” “Hill Street Blues” and “L.A. Law,” the only one whose victories didn’t come consecutively.

The competition, however, will be extremely fierce, in a year that completely swept the major networks out of the running. Contenders including HBO’s “Boardwalk Empire” and “Game of Thrones,” AMC’s “Breaking Bad,” and “Homeland,” the new Showtime drama that already claimed a Golden Globe earlier this year.

With its 81 Emmy bids, HBO tallied more nominations than any network — a feat it has managed for 12 straight years — but fell to its lowest total since 1999. Its overall dominance has been slightly tarnished, some suggest, by heightened competition in the marquee series categories, with its tally owing a debt to longform programming and specials, including the year’s most-nominated movie, “Hemingway & Gellhorn.”

HBO did achieve something of a coup by accounting for half the best-comedy field, with two newcomers, the much-debated “Girls” and political satire “Veep,” joining “Curb Your Enthusiasm.” They face two-time defending champ “Modern Family,” “The Big Bang Theory” and “30 Rock,” creating an even split between the broadcast networks and cable, after the former shut out the latter in 2011.

“Girls” creator Lena Dunham totaled four nominations individually, for starring in and producing the show about struggling 20-somethings in New York, as well as writing and directing. Similarly, comic Louis C.K. amassed seven individual nods between his FX sitcom “Louie” and a stand-up special, although his sitcom itself didn’t make the cut for best comedy.

For History, meanwhile, the impressive showing by “Hatfields” offers a measure of redemption beyond the record-setting ratings the project delivered. Last year, the basic cabler produced another historical miniseries, “The Kennedys,” before opting not to air it amid controversy over its accuracy and tone. The production went on to garner 10 Emmy nominations airing on the little-seen ReelzChannel.

In other areas, “The Daily Show” will have the chance to extend its gaudy streak as best variety/comedy series to 10 consecutive years. Competition includes “Jimmy Kimmel Live” — whose star will host this year’s Emmy telecast — while Jay Leno, David Letterman and Conan O’Brien’s shows will watch from the sidelines.

The Emmys come a bit later this year, with the main telecast to air Sept. 23 on ABC. The creative arts ceremony – devoted primarily to technical categories – — will be held Sept. 15.

The results left programs with strong critical followings on NBC, Showtime and FX on the outside looking in, though several did gain recognition in acting categories, including Don Cheadle for “House of Lies” and “Parks & Recreation’s” Amy Poehler, whose show also nabbed two writing nods.

Similarly, CBS’ “The Amazing Race” — whose own dominance was temporarily interrupted in 2010 — will pursue its ninth win in 10 years in the reality-competition derby.

Perhaps more than any other major awards, the Emmys — balancing new and returning contenders — produce an inordinate amount of grumbling. Beyond the customary gripes about perceived slights and oversights, this year’s nominations have been questioned for the structuring of the categories, which allowed FX to submit “American Horror Story” in the miniseries balloting and “Downton” to make the flip from longform to episodic drama.

ABC’s “Missing” also found its way into the miniseries arena, where Ashley Judd earned a bid. Producers are afforded considerable latitude in that regard, within academy guidelines.

As for talk of a youth movement invading this year’s awards, that was countered by the strong showing from PBS, whose programming tends to hew significantly older. The pubcaster was the third most-nominated network overall with 58 (just behind CBS), nearly doubling its take from two years ago.

In addition to “Downton Abbey,” the network made a strong showing with “Sherlock,” the movie series starring Benedict Cumberbatch, with 13 nominations. “Downton’s” haul included a half-dozen acting nods, matching ABC’s “Modern Family,” which continues to fill the supporting-actor columns.

Notably, HBO amassed more than 100 nominations each of the last two years. Part of that has to do with its investment in movies and miniseries at a time when few others still make the effort, having won the top prize for the former (the categories merged in 2011) 16 of the past 19 years.

If “Girls'” 26-year-old Dunham emerges as one of the darling of this year’s awards process, the Emmys — as the Academy of Television Arts & Sciences specifically noted in its press release — mixed “familiar and new faces.”

Yes, bids went to “New Girl’s” Zooey Deschanel and co-star Max Greenfield for his buzzed-about role as Schmidt, but voters singled out septuagenarian Maggie Smith and octogenarian Betty White as well. The acad also nominated Kathy Bates for “Harry’s Law,” a show NBC canceled because the audience was deemed too geriatric.

Julia Louis-Dreyfus added to her lengthy Emmy resume with a nomination for “Veep,” her 13th overall. Among notable oversights, Ashton Kutcher — who stepped into CBS’ “Two and a Half Men” in the wake of Charlie Sheen’s exit — was overlooked, though star Jon Cryer (in the past a supporting-actor winner) ascended into the lead-actor category.

In what’s become par for the course, the longform roster represents a who’s who of feature talent, many with Oscar credentials. High-profile contenders includes Julianne Moore and Woody Harrelson for the HBO movie “Game Change” (which produced howls from some conservatives for its depiction of Sarah Palin); “Hatfields” producer-star Kevin Costner; and Clive Owen and Nicole Kidman for the title roles in “Hemingway & Gellhorn.”

Outstanding Writing For A Variety Special“84th Annual Academy Awards” – ABC – Academy of Motion Picture Arts and SciencesJon Macks, Written byDave Boone, Written byCarol Leifer, Written byTim Carvell, Special Material Written byJeff Cesario, Special Material Written byBilly Crystal, Special Material Written byEd Driscoll, Special Material Written byBilly Martin, Special Material Written byBen Schwartz, Special Material Written byMarc Shaiman, Special Material Written byEric Stangel, Special Material Written byJustin Stangel, Special Material Written byDavid Steinberg, Special Material Written byMason Steinberg, Special Material Written byColleen Werthmann, Special Material Written by

“The Kennedy Center Honors” – CBS – A George Stevens, Jr. Presentation for The John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing ArtsGeorge Stevens, Written byMichael M. Stevens, Written bySara Lukinson, Written byLewis Friedman, Written by

“Louis C.K. Live At The Beacon Theatre” – FX Networks – Pig Newton, Inc. in association with FX ProductionsLouis C.K., Written by

“The Weight Of The Nation For Kids: The Great Cafeteria Takeover” – HBO – HBO Documentary Films and the Institute of Medicine with Mackerel Sky Films, in association with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the National Institutes of Health, and in partnership with the Michael & Susan Dell Foundation and Kaiser PermanenteSheila Nevins, Executive ProducerJohn Hoffman, Executive ProducerShari Cookson, Produced ByNick Doob, Produced By

“The Weight Of The Nation” – HBO – HBO Documentary Films and the Institute of Medicine, in association with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the National Institutes of Health, and in partnership with the Michael & Susan Dell Foundation and Kaiser PermanenteSheila Nevins, Executive ProducerJohn Hoffman, Executive Producer/Produced ByDan Chaykin, ProducerSarah Teale, Producer